Thanksgiving 2012

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful this year. I hosted this year. After what felt like 24 hours of cooking and preparation, I sat down to eat and was stuffed in about 12 minutes. My sister, Tawsha, and her family came from the Boise area to stay with us for the holiday. The kids are always excited when she comes because they get to play with their cousins Adilyn and McKarlee. We were extra excited this year because we got to see their new addition, Briella, who we haven't seen since she was a new baby. We enjoyed hanging out with the Stanfords, and also having my parents and sister Shelby, as well as my Hudman grandparents over for Thanksgiving.

We have so much to be thankful for this year, as we do every year. Our blessings are abundant, and I thank God for all of them every day. I feel like we are blessed beyond measure to have so many loved ones and family to spend our time with. I am so thankful for the gift of families and that we are able to be together and enjoy each other. I'm thankful that I live in such a beautiful place...a refuge from the world. A peaceful home and area where I can raise my family to appreciate the real things in life...like nature, hard work and togetherness. I'm thankful I have the opportunity to homeschool my kids. I'm blessed to spend that special time with them. Our children are only in our homes for such a short time...and I'm glad that I get to know my kids and enjoy them more than most people do. I'm thankful for my husband...who is my joy at the beginning and end of every day. To go to sleep and wake up next to him every day brings me unimaginable joy. He is everything I could ever ask for in a partner. I'm grateful for my parents and in-laws. I love that they are all such an important part of my life. I love the time that I get to spend with them. I'm so thankful for my sisters and the bond that I have with them. I am also very grateful to have so many special relationships with my sister-in-laws and my niece Ashley. I love the times that I get to spend with them. And then to top it all off, I have a home, we have jobs, and there is food on our table. I hate to count material things as blessings...but it is true, we have been blessed with the opportunity to work hard and obtain the things we need (and plenty of things that we don't really need). I have much to be thankful for this year.

Here is a look at our Thanksgiving:

The kids made cute little coffee filter Turkeys...

great grandma and grandpa Hudman arrived...

grandpa Richard carves the turkey

Pictures with great grandma Hudman

time to eat!

Comments

[Kathy]

Looks like a wonderful Thanksgiving! I love seeing your updates!!

[Denise T]

Sounds like you had a beautiful Thanksgiving! I would love to see a post on how you shoot such incredible indoor photos sometime. I'm always inspired by your photography and it constantly encourages me to make sure I'm capturing my family moments.

Live Blessed!

Denise T

[Jennifer]

Beautiful family!

I'd love to hear about your homeschooling as well!

Have you ever posted your recipe for your rolls? They look wonderful. I didn't see it in your recipes though.

[SherelleChristensen]

Hi Janiel! I didnt realize you were homeschooling! Congrats!!! I would love to put together a post on homeschooling sometime in the near future. Last year, I felt like too much of a novice to be able to share all of my feelings on homeschooling, but now that I have over a year under my belt, I think there is a lot I can share :)

Sherelle Christensenwww.sherellechristensen.typepad.com

To: sherellech@msn.com

[Janiel Bishop]

I, too, am so thankful for the opportunity to homeschool my kids! People think its such a hardship and stress and yet I see it as such a blessing. I think it would be hard to send them off to school and miss them all day. I love how you mentioned that we only have a short time with them and that family is everything. I think all the time about how much the worlds problems would be solved if moms could just stay home and teach/raise their kids. Someday, if you have a minute, maybe do a post on homeschooling so I can glean some ideas from you.